In what could be termed good news for lovers of sports, Glasgow raising its hands and saying it was willing to host the Commonwealth Games in 2026 was a massive relief. Since the time the state of Victoria in Australia backed out as hosts of the Games in early 2023, the clouds of uncertainty hanging over the Commonwealth Games (CWG) had left people in power in the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) very anxious. Even a country like Singapore refused to play host and there was a worry about what would happen to the 2026 Games. Strangely, even on Tuesday afternoon, during a select media interaction, Chris Jenkins, the CGF president, was not very sure which city or country would be generous enough to host the 2026 edition, less than 18 months away.
“What I hear and read is media reports and speculation,” he told RevSportz on Tuesday afternoon. However, a few hours later, it became clear that Scotland had given the nod, with the Scottish government accepting the deal. What is unique in this decision is that Australia will be offering substantial financial support to host the Games, to the tune of “multi-million Pounds”. The story, really, now, is as much about the CWG finding a host city as well as how the future needs more planning.
Definitely, from ‘no CWG in 2026’ to a limited edition to be hosted by Scotland is a welcome step for the nations which are part of the Commonwealth Movement. Originally conceived as the Imperial Games, there are some cynics who say the “CWG is a waste.” If that be the case, Scotland would not have come forward to take it up. For those who have followed how a Commonwealth Games is held and the costs involved, even Birmingham in 2022 was a scaled-down version. Scotland will be even more watered down, with, perhaps, a maximum of 10 sporting disciplines.
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As Jenkins said on Tuesday to this writer, their work also has more to do with the next two editions in 20230 and 2034, which is why he and his team came to New Delhi. “We had very fruitful meetings in India with the Sports Minister (Dr Mansukh Mandaviya), Indian Olympic Association President PT Usha and my good friend Captain Ajay Narang, as well as the SAI officials,” he said. “I am thankful to India that we could discuss a lot as future editions of the Commonwealth Games will require support from your country.”
Elected CGF President at the end of 2023, Jenkins is very open and understands the dynamics well. He is aware that for the CWG to continue and be relevant, multiple nations may need to be involved in the future. “To plan the Commonwealth Games less than 18 months away is not easy,” he said. That is why, looking at the future, he has reached out to India. It is well-known that despite India not being a ‘sporting superpower’, if one goes strictly by the definition of winning medals at the Olympics, it does play an important role. The very fact that the IOC session was held in India last year in Mumbai and India are very keen to host the 2036 Olympics is an indicator. Not just that, India may even host the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in 2030.
More recently, when the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) General Assembly was held in New Delhi, and Raja Randhir Singh was unanimously elected as its President, a first for India, it was a big honour. Again, the Indian government was prominently at the session, while Usha has played a key role as well in parlays with the IOC, OCA and now the CGF.
After the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in Australia, when shooting was taken off the programme for the 2022 CWG in Birmingham, there was an uproar in India. There was even a boycott threat, which was called off later. Then again, a few months before the Birmingham CWG, when the then IOA President Narinder Batra said these Games were not important, it did not go down well with the establishment.
The very prospect of joint hosts for the CWG in future is a good suggestion, since economic viability is important. Jenkins said he had spoken to many people in Paris during the Olympics. “We are also in touch with the international sports federations as well, as to how corporates can come on board,” he said. “All this planning has to begin now for the 2030 and 2034 Commonwealth Games.” Compared to the times when the CGF had cussed officials who dealt with India poorly, Jenkins is more friendly. He views India as an important country for the future.
It may be premature to hazard a guess as to whether India will be a joint CWG host in 2030 or 2034, but nothing can be ruled out. What’s important is that the 2026 edition is on, and it will offer Indian athletes a chance to compete. That the Glasgow CWG takes place before the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya is also very timely.
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